This invention pertains to law enforcement devices, and particularly to devices for enabling police batons to be carried in a convenient, versatile manner.
Over the years, as law enforcement has been studied and approved procedures devised, the traditional "night stick" or baton has evolved into a longer, heavier, largely standardized instrument for defensive and control purposes. Approximately 10 years ago, law enforcement agencies began to change over from the straight baton to a side handle version, having a number of significant advantages. This baton is approximately 24 inches in length and includes a first handle, in line with the principal axis of the baton, that is approximately 6 inches in length, and a side handle of 5 or 6 inches in length that protrudes at right angles at the starting point for the in-line handle.
Preferred methods of carrying, withdrawing and utilizing the side-handled baton have been devised for a number of defensive and control situations, and officers are taught these procedures systematically. The side handle affords substantial versatility in undertaking different movements with the baton, as well as giving the officer a two-handled grip and leverage against someone seizing the baton from the opposite end. Existing side handle batons are offered in two different length, weight and diameter configurations that are quite alike but, nevertheless, differ.
In practice, law enforcement officers have been carrying the side handle batons by inserting them into rings suspended from their heavy gunbelt, but this has been found to present a substantial number of problems in different situations. If the officer is merely walking along, then the ring support provides little interference and the baton extends substantially vertically with its principal length not interfering with motion. If the officer begins to run, however, the baton bounces up and down in the ring and begins to swing back and forth, sometimes hitting against the officer's leg or knee. To prevent this, the officer must hold the baton at an end or in the center, thus limiting flexibility of movement and reducing the officer s capability for self-defense. Any situation in which the officer is required to have one hand on the baton while it is in the ring support places the officer at a disadvantage because someone can seize either the baton handle or the officer's hand to substantially immobilize him or her.
Further, officers riding in patrol cars find the ring holder extremely inconvenient, because the length of the baton presents an interference within the front passenger compartment. The common response then is to remove the baton from the ring holder and place it either on the seat or on the floor of the patrol car, where it can be forgotten or unavailable in an emergency situation in which the officer must respond immediately. The ring support is also inconvenient for use when the office must crouch or crawl, because the baton then interfers with the body or bangs against the ground, requiring that the officer control the baton by hand to limit interfering motion and maintain silence, which may be of paramount importance in some instances.